This invention relates generally to offshore wind turbines, and more particularly to methods and apparatus for determining a site for an offshore wind turbine.
Wind power is quickly becoming a growing energy source around the world. Conventionally, wind turbines are clustered together as wind farms in locations that have favorable wind conditions. However, placement of these wind farms is limited due to the desire to place the wind turbines in remote locations and the need to place the wind turbines in a location with favorable wind conditions to provide increased power output.
Wind turbines are currently being sited at offshore locations. Offshore wind turbines are desirable because they provide additional locations to place wind turbines and they provide favorable wind conditions due to the lack of obstruction for wind currents. However, identifying favorable wind resource locations is a challenge to long term economic competitiveness and also a key for business development strategies. Known identification techniques include erecting a meteorological tower upon a foundation secured to the sea floor to measure wind conditions. However, these meteorological towers are expensive to construct and are stationary with respect to the sea floor. Other known identification techniques include dispersing data buoys to collect wind condition measurements. However, these data buoys typically collect wind condition data at or near the water surface, which can be significantly different than the wind conditions at higher elevations, such as the elevation of conventional wind turbines. Furthermore, these data buoys are susceptible to wave motion which can distort wind condition readings. Accordingly, identification techniques of the kind presently in use have not previously provided wind condition measurements in a cost effective and reliable manner.